WSTA celebrates World Gin Day

The UK’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) says it will be celebrating the seventh annual World Gin Day tomorrow by highlighting the success of the UK’s growing gin industry.

Fuelled by the emergence of a number of small, micro gins and growth in premium brands, research from the WSTA shows that the UK’s gin industry has grown in value by 11.3% in the last year and a 19.8% over the past two years.

The association says its research shows the huge export potential for British gin, with growing consumption in all of the top five global markets.

Gin made in the UK now accounts for almost 140 million bottles of UK exports. Global output is also forecast to grow by 13 million litres a year, with most of this growth being met by British gins.

Wine and Spirit Trade Association’s chief executive, Miles Beale, said: “Gin has seen a renaissance in popularity over recent years fuelled by an extremely exciting artisanal trade here in the UK. World Gin Day provides us with the perfect opportunity to reflect on this success which we are now seeing take off across Europe and look forward to future growth.

“The British gin industry is a huge success story and something that we should be proud of and look to champion. Let’s join together today in raising a glass to those home-grown gin companies who continue to create delicious and creative new gins for us, and for the rest of the world, to enjoy.”

In recent years, a new wave of micro-distillers operating throughout the UK have reinvigorated this historic market. With sales of premium gin having grown by 48.7% in the last two years, the selection of distillers creating gin of the highest quality couldn’t be greater.

Gin was given royal protection by William of Orange in the 17th century. Ironic as the Dutchman came from the Netherlands which produces the forerunner to gin, namely Genever or Jenever.

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Comment

The wine trade can be divided into two fundamentally opposed camps. on one side, you have the romantic idealists who believe that wine is – or can be – something special, bordering on mystical: an elixir like no other, comparable to the greatest works of art.